The Los Angeles Dodgers will have a decision to make when rosters expand, and they have a clear need when it comes to position players.
When rosters expand on Sept.1, the Dodgers will get to call up one position player and one pitcher. Will Smith will likely be called up, but the team will likely move on from Ben Rortvedt or Hunter Fedducia. That means they can still call up a position player, and they clearly need an outfielder.
Andy Pages is hurt with a fractured hand, and the Dodgers have Alek Thomas playing center field right now. They don't really have a ready center fielder in the minor leagues, but James Tibbs III is a corner outfielder who could be a solid fit on the roster.
Tibbs is hitting .298 in Triple-A with 27 homers. Although he is a lefty, he has hit lefties better than righties and could be an option to start over Kyle Tucker or Teoscar Hernández on some days. He could also be a pinch-hit option for Thomas, allowing Tommy Edman to move to center field if there's no spot for Tibbs on defense at the time.
Tibbs has nothing left to prove in Triple-A, and calling him up would make plenty of sense. Fans may be hoping the Dodgers will call up Josue De Paula from Double-A, their top prospect, but that seems unlikely. He is hitting .311 in Double-A and could be a direct replacement for Pages in center field.
